A Better Business Bureau investigation determined that consumers have lost nearly $1 billion to online dating scams in the past three years. The impact on victims can be financial and emotional, with some considering or actually committing suicide.

In a study titled “Online Romance Scams: A Better Business Bureau Study on How Scammers Use Impersonation, Blackmail and Trickery to Steal from Unsuspecting Daters,” retired Federal Trade Commission official Steve Baker estimates 1 million Americans have been victimized by online dating scams in the past three years. The number of victims and dollar losses are likely higher because some people are too embarrassed to admit they fell for a scam. The FTC says overall less than 10 percent of victims report frauds.

The FBI says romance scams result in the highest amount of financial losses when compared to other online scams. Some victims have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, leaving many bankrupt.

Rather than being desperate and gullible, many victims are bright and normal people who simply believe in true love and are looking for a soul mate. While other studies have found that middle-aged divorcees or widows are often targeted by the scam, the BBB found there is no typical victim. They can be male or female, young or old, straight or gay.

The majority of the scammers are overseas crime rings operating out of West Africa, particularly Nigeria, and Russia and the Ukraine. The study estimates there may be 25,000 scammers online at any given time, with as many as 14 percent of profiles being fakes.

Scammers meet their victims on dating websites, dating apps, or social media; attempt to quickly move communication off the website to email or texting; and then spend months building a relationship before asking for money. They start out with small amounts before requesting a large sum to deal with a medical emergency, buy a business, travel to meet the victim, or for some other reason. The victim and scammer never actually meet.

The scammers often portray themselves as members of the military, using pictures of soldiers killed in action or high ranking officers. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command receives hundreds of reports a month from people who got involved in an online relationship with someone they thought was in the military.

In more serious cases, the victim may become an unwitting accomplice in money laundering or drug smuggling or be blackmailed in a sextortion scheme after agreeing to share compromising videos.

The FBI and BBB offer these tips to avoid becoming the victim of a romance scam:

Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the material has been used elsewhere.

Go slow and ask a lot of questions.

Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating site to go offline.

Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family or requests inappropriate photos or financial information that could be used to extort you.

Beware if the individual promises to meet in person but then always comes up with an excuse why he or she can’t. If you haven’t met the person after a few months, for whatever reason, be suspicious.

Never send money to someone you don’t know personally.

Randy Hutchinson is president and chief executive officer of the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South.